Kafir-corn header.



` WITNEssEs H. B. WORLEY.

KAFIR CORN HEADER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3.19I7.

1,26, l 1 6. 'anted Mar. 19, 1918.

3 SHEETS--SHEET'Il INVENTOR H. B. WORLEY.

KAFIR CORN HEADER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3.1917.

l ,260, l l 5. Patented Mar. 19, 1918,

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INVENTOR WITNEssEs I W 4 Bv W ATTORNEY H. B. WORLEY,

KAFIR CORN HEADER.

APPLICATION flLED luLY 3.1911.

1. ,69,1 6 Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR WrrNEssr-:s

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i 'ATTORNEY FFEC HORACE B. WORLEY, OF LAKE ARTHUR, NEW MEXICO.l

Karin-CORN HEADER. v

Specification of Letters Patent.

Paten-ted Mar. 19,1918.

Aplilca'tion filed .Tilly 3, 1917. Serial No. 178,404.

To ZZ whom z' may concern.'y

Be it knownthat I, HORACE B. VVORLEY,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Lake Arthur, in the countyof Chaves and -State ofv New Mexico, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Kafir-Corn Headers, of which the following is aspeciiication'.

This invention relates to machines for heading` Kair corn, maize, caneand the like, and it has for its object to produce a machine of thisclass of simple and improved construction whereby the operation ofheading may be expeditiously performed in a labor saving manner.

A further object of the invention is to produce a machine of the classdescribed which in a simple and convenient manner may bel adjusted tooperate on stalks of different heights.

A further object 0f the invention is to produce a machine of the classdescribed having means whereby the detached heads may be loaded into areceptacle. i

lVith these and other endsy in view which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in theimproved construction and novel arrangement and combination of partswhich will be hereinafter' fully described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In'the 'accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple andpreferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that nolimitation is necessarily made to the precise structural detailsthereinv exhibited, but that changes, alterationsand modificationswithin the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

In thedrawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a machine constructed in accordance withthe invention.

Fig. 2 is a side" elevation of the same.

Fig. 3' is a rear elevation.

Fig. is'a longitudinal sectional'view.

Fig. 5 -is a'detail view partly in elevation and partly in section oftheshaft with its telescopic extension 61.

Fig. 6 is' apersp'ective detail view of the notched plate55.

Fig. Tis a'detailplan View fithercuttg,

apparatus' andrelatedparts. l l

Fig.- si isla dtairplan View or the' durch '1 essere.

Fig. 9 is aV sectional detail view taken on the line 9 9 in Fig. 8.

Corresponding parts in the several iigures of the drawings are denotedby like characters of reference.

The axle of the improved machine comprises an arch 15 having spindles16, 17 extending from the limbs thereof, said spindles carrying` theground wheels 18, 19. Supported on the spindles adjacent to the limbs ofthe axle arch are boxes 2O each having" a forwardly extending arm 21,said boxes being connected together by'a yoke or'arch 22 that extendsrearwardly with respect to the axle arch 15 and the particular use ofwhich will be hereinafter" set forth. TheV spindle 16 extends materiallybeyond the' outer face of the ground wheel 1,8"a'nd uponthe projectingend of the spindle is pivot ally mounted the tongue 23.

The gatherers G are each composed of an upper and a lower member 24, 25,said members converging in a forward direction, being suit-ably securedtogether at their for# ward extremities while their rearward ends arespaced apart by spacing members 26. The gathering members are alsotapered inv a forwarddirection, being beveled on their inner faces tofacilitate the admission of stalks therebetween. The gatherers aresupported at their rearward ends on a cross bar 27 with which they aresuitably connected, but through the greater portion of their length theyare spaced apart, being connected together b v arch members 28 se-vcured on the top members 24 of the respective gatherers.` rThe top andbottom memV` bers of the respective gatherers are provided with bearingswherein shafts 29, 30 are supported for rotation, said shafts be# ing`supported adjacent to the inner edges of the top and bottom' membersofthev gath-v erers. The shafts 29 are disposed inter! mediate the frontand rear ends and' the sh'afts'30 nearthe rearward ends of therespective gatherers. Trained over the shafts' 29, 30 of each gathereris a chain conveyer 31 some of the links of which are provided withprongs 32 adapted to engage the corn stalks for the purposeof feedingthe same' rearv'va'rdly'vv between the gatherers'. The

rearwardvshafts 30 are extended abovev the top members 24 of the"respective',gatherers,I

one-'of said shafts being provided' with` a" sprrekstf wheel smiA theother' winl-y gear wheel 34, the latter meshing with the gear wheel onan idler shaft 36, the latter being also provided with a sprocket wheel37 lying in the plane :ofthe sprocket wheel 33 for the purpose ofreceiving mo@ tion and transmitting such motion inthe proper directionto the shafts 30 by means toy be presently described. The gatherers Gare connected with the spindlesVv 16, 17 by means ot braces 38, saidbraces having boxes engaging the spindles and capable of turning freelythereon. Said gatherers are also provided on'the lower faces of theirbottom members 25 with lugs 39 which are connected by links 40 with theforwardly eX- tending arms .21 of the boxes 20. The braces 38, it may bestated, are preferably connected with theV gatherers by pivot members41. .Additional bracing andsupporting members may be provided, one suchmember 42 being mounted at one end on one of the pivots 41 and havingits other end securely connected with the tongue 23.

Secured on the ground wheel 18, which also constitutes a bull wheel ortractionl wheel, is a clutch member C comprising a disk 43 and a sleeve44, the latter surv rounding the spindle. The spindle also carofthespring 49, thereby disengaging it' from the clutch member C, Byrocking the.

ries ahub 45 onwhich is mounted a bevel gear 46 and a sprocket wheel 47,said hub having also a clutch member 48 matingv with the clutch member Cinthe direction of which the hub is normally pressed' by the action of aspring 49, one end of which abuts on the hubl 45 while the other end ofsaid spring abuts on Voneside member of a frame 50 lwhich ismounted onthe spindle, said-,frame being secured by meansot a brace 51 whichconnects it with the tongue 23. The other side member of the frame 50has an eye or boxing 52 engaging the sleeve 44 of the clutch member C..53 isa lever having a forked head treceiving between the limbs lthereofthe sleeve 44 of the clutch member C, and also the clutch end ot the hub45, said forked head being cam-shaped as shown so that by rocking thelever, which extends rearwardly beneath lthe rear por-l tion of thetrame 50, in one direction, the

hubv 45 may be forced against the tension lever in the other direction,the hub will be released and will, Vby the tension of the spring 49, beforcedin engagement with the clutch member'O.I A notched plate 55.

ixed on the under side of the lrearward portion ofthe trame 50, servesto'support the handle portion of. the .lever 53 and also to secure it inadjusted position by` engagement with one ofthe notches 56 in thesupporting plate, l

Connected with one limb ot the .adjusting yoke QQ-is a hand lever57having a stop member or locking device 58V engaging a rack segment 59which is fixed on the trame 50. By manipulating this lever, the frame 50may be rocked, causing the forwardly extending arms 2110i the boxes 20with which the yoke is connected to raise or lower the gathering membersthrough the medium of the links 40, the partsbeing retained in adjustedposition by means ofV the lock or stop member 58.

' One of the gatherers G is provided with bearings for a substantiallyvertical shaftVv 60 which is provided' below the gatherer with atelescopicextensionV 61 for which a suitable bearing 6:2 is provided,said telescopic extension carrying a bevel pinion 63 meshing with thebevel gear-46. The shaft 60 is provided intermediate the top and bottommembers of the gatherer G in which it is supported with a crank 641whichis con-V nected by a pitman 65 with 'a cutting member 66'supported forreciprocation onV the bottom members of the twogatherrers, and whichcoperates with a stationary cutting member 67 which is likewisesupported on the bottom members of the two gatherersY in the path ot theincoming stalks, the heads ot which willbe severed by the cuttingYapparatuswhen the machine is in operation. Theshatt 60 is extendedabove-theitop member of the gatherer and carries .a Asprocket wheel 68from which a chain 69 is trained over the sprocket wheels 33" and V37,thereby driving the chain'conveyers, the cutting apparatus beingactuated .by the'rotationY of thefshaft 60 as rwill be readily seen. Thetel- 100 escopic downward extension of the lshaft permits the verticaladjustment of the gath'f erers by means of the adjusting lever 57, as epreviously described.

VHingedly connected which supports the rearward ends Vof the gatherers,is an elevator 70, the conveyer of which is driven by a suitabletransmission including a chain 7l which is trained over the sprocketwheel 47 on'the hub V45. Thello free end of the elevator is supportedbyv means of a brace bar 72 having its lower end mountedon the spindle17 andA provided.A near its upper end with a slot 73 for the pasf sageof a bolt 74 that extends from ythe11r5 elevator frame and which isprovided with a nut 75 which may be tightened to 'secure the elevatortrame in adjusted position. A spring supported tightener Vor jtightening pulley 76 is provided, which constantly en- 120 gagesthe-transmission chain 71 for the purpose of maintaining said chainunder proper tension 4at all adjustments ot the gathering. members. .Y l

From the foregoingr description, takenin 125 connection Vwith thedrawings Yhereto fanneXed, the operation and advantages of thisinvention will bereadilyunderstood. The machine may bedrawnV loya teamhitched to' the tongue 23 adjacent to one 'sideglof theage auV soY

machine. The gatherers may be adjusted to elevate down stalks and toguide the same, as well as the standing stalks, between the gathererswhere they will be seized upon by the chain conveyers, whereby they willbe positively carried in engagement with the cutting apparatus wherebythe heads will be severed and thrown on the elevator while the stalkspass beneath the axle arch 15 and the yoke 22. The elevator may beadjusted to discharge into the box of a wagon following the machine, orinto a suitable receptacle otherwise provided.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. In a machine of the class described, an arched axle having elongatedspindles, ground wheels on said spindles, a tongue mounted on one ofsaid spindles adjacent to the outer face of one of the ground wheels,boxes journaled on the spindles and having forwardly extending arms, ayoke connecting said boxes together', an adjusting lever connected withthe yoke, a pair of gathering members, braces connected pivotally withthe gathering members and having boxes journaled on the spindles, lugson the under faces of the gathering members, and links connecting saidlugs with the forwardly extending arms of the boxes j ournaled on thespindles.

2. In a machine of the class described, an arched axle having elongatedspindles, ground wheels on said spindles, a tongue mounted on one ofsaid spindles adjacent to the outer face of one of the ground wheels,boxes journaled on the spindles and having forwardly extending arms, ayoke connecting said boxes together, an adjusting lever connected withthe yoke, a pair of gathering members, braces connected pivotally withthe gathering members and having boxes j ournaled on the spindles, lugson the under faces of the gathering members, and links connecting saidlugs with the forwardly extending arms of the boxes j ournaled on thespindles, said gathering members having conveyer chains and cuttingapparatus; in combination with means for transmitting motion to saidconveyer chains and cutting apparatus from one of the ground wheels,said means including a vertical crank shaft journaled in one of thegathering members and having a telescopic downward extension, a pinionon said extension, a bevel gear mounted on one of the spindles in meshwith said pinion, means including a clutch device connecting said bevelgear operatively with one of the ground wheels, a pitman connecting thecrank shaft with the cutting apparatus, and a chain transmitting motionfrom the crank shaft to the chain conveyers.

3. In a machine of the class described, an arched axle having spindles,ground wheels on said spindles, boxes journaled on the spindles andhaving forwardly extending arms, a yoke connecting said boxes together,an adjusting lever connected with the yoke, a pair of gathering members,means for supporting said gathering members above the axle, said meansincluding brace members pivoted on the gathering members and havingboxes receiving the spindles of the axle, links connecting the forwardlyextending arms of the boxes journaled on the spindles with the gatheringmembers, and means for securing the adjusting lever in position atvarious adjustments.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HORACE B. WORLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. byaddressing: the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

